Sparklers

words of wisdom and wonder

Appreciation

“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.” —Mahatma Gandhi

img

Text Grooks

More textbooks might be read, if the points were better said. Imagine the interest in a book written all as Piet Hein Grooks.

All Beautiful

Each of us is beautiful in ways others don’t see. So I presume the charm in you, itself a charm in me.

Who Refuse

Those who refuse all but the best, receive nothing. For that’s what’s left.

Each Moment

Live each moment, enjoy today, for we are living our good old days.

Second Chance

Memories, in looking back, offer us a second chance to visit with good times past and live again the happiness. Pleasure then, back for seconds; there is no time like the pleasant.

Happy Choice

People are as happy as they choose to be, when measuring success by their personal best.

Joy Reins

Rainbows needs sun and also need rain. After life’s sorrow, joy reins again.

Be Original

If you aspire to be like another, the cost is the loss of yourself. No two people are identical. To be original, just be yourself.

Belief

“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” —Robertson Davies

img

See How

How we see what we see are not only how they are. How we see to some degree is partially how we are.

Heart Felt

What we know is limited to what the mind can grasp. Allow the heart to intuit where mind alone can’t go. Lifted up to greater tasks, the heart must first believe before the mind can see it.

Belief Untrue

A belief is not true because it is expedient or people died for it. The degree of intensity doesn’t mean accuracy.

Behave Belief

Belief is less an attitude of accepting X as true; more about behaving it, in all the deeds you do.

Hope’s Elements

The elements of hope are to plan and prepare, for we have confidence when part of the answer.

Fact Faith

We believe it is true not with the words we use, but when prepared to act on the belief as fact.

Belief Affects

What we believe affects of all. Belief itself cannot change world, but belief can change people and people can change the world.

Dogma’s Karma

Grumpy and pious, feeling self-assured, expecting attendance for a diet of words. Fellowship preached with ominous tone, the parish lay empty, the pastor alone. Loquaciously crafted, barking of dogma. Empty pews echoed, their silence of karma.

Duty

“Not for ourselves alone are we born.” —Marcus Tullius Cicero

img

Don’t Wait

Before a job becomes too great, pick up the slack—don’t wait. Hard work results of easy tasks when you let them accumulate.

Doubtful Duty

It’s okay to doubt a duty you don’t want to perform, if conviction is held truly and you’re not confused between giving critique and inventing an excuse.

Judgement Standards

Judge by standards of the day and not by those come later. Else admit we’re wrong today, as found by courts of the future.

Misdeeds Missed

Misdeeds are the errors of commission. Missed deeds are the errors of omission.

Liberty Liberties

You choose to lose your liberty by taking too many liberties.

Objective Indecisive

To be objective is a noble goal, it helps one keep perspective, but those always white-flag neutral offer nothing decisive.

Goals

“The greater danger for most of us isn’t that our aim is too high and miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” —Michelangelo

img

Idea Works

An idea may be helpful, it may be a breakthrough, but an idea will not work unless, of course, you do.

Have Hope

If a task’s beyond their scope or they chose the wrong path, do not deprive others of hope. It might be all they have.

Off Target

One target is worth noting; one that you should omit. If you take aim at nothing, bullseye → you will hit it.

Aggregate Achievement

Important results appear a whole, like reaching a mountain summit. But a climb is made of many steps; it’s together that they’re ultimate.

Good Life

The ingredients for a good life: the first of which is learning, preparing for all the yearning; the second of which is earning.

The Untrained

Pleased to be on the track, a first run for the engine. Alas, it was a shortened run; going the wrong direction.

Opportunity Whispers

Learn to listen, one mouth, two ears. When opportunity talks, it often whispers.

No Goals No Glory

Some give up on finding glory, but set no goals to change the story.

Pursuit of Happy

Occasionally pause the pursuit, in the rush of trying to be. Find in the quest for happiness a moment to be happy.

Initiative Finish-iative

Success requires initiative, easy to put first things first. It also requires “finish-iative” so next things next will work.

Happiness

“To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.” —Albert Camus

Multiply Light

A candle loses nothing in lighting another. Happiness multiplies, divided with others.

Enjoyment Moment

Enjoyment is a moment, but with experience we find the best test of pleasure are the memories left behind.

Living Life

Making a living is what you receive. Having a life is what you achieve.

Detour Scene

The contented person, along a detour, enjoys the scenery others merely endure.

Have Worthy

Before you desire, examine how happy are those who possess it and assess if it’s worthy.

Happy Helper

We tend to be happy to the degree we are helpful, and tend to find peace to the extent we are grateful.

Smile Happy

The outwardly happy smile ear to ear. The inwardly happy smile year to year.

Heart Sound

Whisper is the sound of a broken heart weeping. Thunder is the sound of a mended heart laughing.

Progress

“Every ceiling reached becomes a floor.” —Aldοus Huxley

Run Over

Change isn’t always progress, nor is all activity achievement. But even on the right track, there has to be some movement.

Quantum Leap

A single leap to cross a chasm, but many steps to walk a trail. Pace yourself for it to happen; the bound across is pass or fail.

Try Growing

Success isn’t only about winning, there is achievement in trying. For that which isn’t growing, isn’t showing signs of life, but dying.

Word Weight

When all is said and done, unless more deed than word, more will be said than done, and worth its weight in words.

Life’s Bicycle

Keep moving forward or you will wobble, appearing backward to those more mobile.

Pushing Up

You know this especially when going uphill, more is accomplished by push than by pull.

Creative Motive

Progress is achievement, often being creative, not simply being different by those who lack a motive.

Better Best

Satisfactory is good, but not good enough where better is expected. Excellent goes beyond, but when better will do, it too must be rejected.

About Me

Roger Kenyon was North America’s first lay canon lawyer and associate director at the Archdiocese of Seattle. He was involved in tech (author of Macintosh Introductory Programming, Mainstay) before teaching (author of ThinkLink: a learner-active program, Riverwood). Roger lives near Toronto and offers free critical thinking and character development courses online.

“When not writing, I’m riding—eBike, motorbike, and a mow cart that catches air down the hills. One day I’ll have Goldies again.”